Weekly Update – April 22, 2022
April 22, 2022
Weekly Update – April 22, 2022
Next Week: April General Meeting
CUASA’s April General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Tuesday, April 26, from 2:00 to 4:00pm.
The agenda and other materials will be released shortly.
The AGM will be held on Zoom again this year. Advance registration is required.
Member Engagement Survey
Our officers and staff want to ensure that CUASA members are provided access to services that help support them better. We appreciate your help in identifying how the Association can best meet your needs at Carleton by participating in occasional surveys.
We have developed this short on-line survey to learn more about the needs and preferences of our members across the university, based on recent questions and feedback from our membership. It should take you 5-8 minutes to complete.
This survey is anonymous unless you provide contact information for a follow-up conversation with a member of CUASA’s Internal Affairs Committee. Only the Internal Affairs committee will see individual responses. A composite summary of responses will be provided to CUASA’s Steering Committee and Council with all identifying information removed.
The survey will remain open until May 31, 2022.
Carleton extending masking requirements
CUASA welcomes last week’s announcement that, on the recommendation of Ottawa Public Health, Carleton will be maintaining the mandatory COVID-19 Mask Policy until further notice.
The policy requires masks to be worn in all university buildings, including offices, classrooms and labs. Members of the Carleton community must continue to wear a three-layer mask that completely and comfortably covers the nose, mouth and chin without gaps and does not allow air to escape from the edges.
Constitutional Referendum Next Week
This is a reminder that a vote will be held next week on a series of proposed amendments to the CUASA Constitution. As required by Article XIV, these amendments were endorsed by 15 members of the Association and subsequently passed by a majority of CUASA Council members at its meeting of March 24, 2022.
We have prepared a document outlining the process, including the vote questions, text of the proposed amendments and their rationale.
The vote will be administered electronically from Wednesday, April 27, at 12:00pm to Friday, April 29, at 12:00pm.
Note: Only members who have joined the Association are eligible to vote. Membership in the bargaining unit is not the same as membership in the Association. If you haven’t filled out your membership card yet, or aren’t sure if you’ve filled one out before, you can do so using this form.
The CUASA Office must receive your membership application by 4:30pm on Monday, April 25, 2022, for you to be eligible to participate in the vote.
Last Call: Nominations for Steering Positions
We are accepting nominations for the following Steering Committee positions for terms beginning on July 1, 2022 (click on the position title to view the description):
- Treasurer
- External Relations Officer
- Chair, Grievance Policy and Administration
- Instructor Representative
- Librarian Representative
Nominations for the above positions are due by Friday, April 29, 2022. All nominations must be made using this PDF form or Word form.
Information on the nominations process can be found on our How to Volunteer page. Remember that our Association is only as strong as its membership, so we count on the time and commitment of our members to achieve our goals. Some of these positions come with a course release subject to the availability of funds (please ask if interested).
If you have any questions about the positions or the process, please contact CUASA’s Chair, Nominations and Elections, Marylynn Steckley, at [email protected].
Annual Tenure/Confirmation and Promotion Workshops
Each spring CUASA presents Tenure/Confirmation and Promotion workshops, which cover the process for applying for tenure/confirmation and/or promotion, the preparation of dossiers, and the appeals process in the event of a denial.
The dates and times for this year’s workshops are as follows:
- Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor
- Promotion to Full Professor
- Librarian Confirmation and Promotion
- Instructor Confirmation and Promotion
All workshops will be held virtually on Zoom. Click on the dates above to register for the workshop you would like to attend.
Academic Community Updates
Auditor General of Ontario finds Laurentian manufactured financial crisis, government ignored warning signs
The Auditor General of Ontario’s preliminary report on Laurentian University confirms assertions faculty have been making for more than a year—that the university’s financial crisis resulted from secretive and deficient governance practices and the Ford government’s failure to step in and support the institution when its financial needs became clear. The Auditor General found that the use of the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) was inappropriate and unneeded and that, instead, the university should have worked collegially with the Laurentian University Faculty Association to address the institution’s financial challenges.
Ontario Auditor General’s Report: CAUT calls for resignation of Laurentian U top officials
In the wake of the release of the Auditor General of Ontario’s report on Laurentian University, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT)—the voice of academic and professional staff at 125 universities and colleges across Canada—is calling for the immediate resignation of Laurentian University President Robert Haché and all senior administrators.
Labour Community Updates
Rally for repeal of Bill 124
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the Ontario Nurses Associations (ONA), and the Ontario Public Services Employees Union (OPSEU) are holding a rally calling for the repeal of Bill 124, which caps public sector compensation at 1% per year for a three-year period. As you may know, CUASA is currently also capped by this bill and is challenging it through the courts on the ground that it violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and interferes with the right of free and fair collective bargaining.
CUASA proudly stands in solidarity with CUPE, ONA, and OPSEU on this and we encourage our members to attend the rally if you safely can. It will happen on Tuesday, April 26, at the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus (1053 Carling Avenue) from 11:00am to 12:30pm.
Ottawa May Day Rally hosted by the OFL
On May 1, 2022, join the Ontario Federation of Labour’s province-wide day of action for a better Ontario. May 1, or May Day, is the traditional workers’ holiday, a day that working people celebrate the gains they have won over the years and commit to fighting for a better future for everyone.
It’s time for a $20 minimum wage, decent work, affordable housing, paid sick days, well-funded public services, livable income support for all, climate justice, status for all, and an end to racism and oppression.
The rally and march will be held at the Ottawa Court House (161 Elgin St.) on Sunday, May 01, from 12:00 to 2:00pm.
